In the center square of the ancient town, a crowd of onlookers, primarily martial artists, had gathered.
All eyes were on a young man in warrior gear, rocking wooden sandals and a bun hairdo. He chilled on a bench with only a bottle of wine and a sword on the table.
The man sipped his drink casually, not bothering about the talks around him. Behind him stood a middle-aged man in a suit and white gloves, dressed like a butler.
Though the butler seemed meek around the young man, his eyes scanned the crowd with a snobby air.
The butler spoke loudly to the gathering crowd, “Listen up, people from Dragonmarsh!
“Meet our young master, Marco Alessandro! We’re from Kimboku and came to Sacred Wyrm Summit to challenge the best fighters from Dragonmarsh.
“We’re having a three-day tournament. If anyone can beat Mr. Alessandro, they’ll get the ‘Demon Sword,’ one of Kimboku’s top ten swords!
“But if you’re not up for it, you’ll have to cancel the tournament and accept that you’re just a bunch of eastern scoundrels!”
As soon as he said this, the whole crowd went wild. Those with a short fuse started throwing insults right away.
“What the heck! You’re incredibly arrogant. I’m not going to let you off!”
“Bastard! How dare you display such
arrogance in Dragonmarsh? You’re practically begging for trouble meddling with us in this place!”
“Damn it! Don’t even think about holding me back. I must confront these two imbeciles head-on!”
The butler’s words turned everything chaotic, with insults and angry remarks filling the air.
Some hot-headed youths even brandished their weapons, gearing up for a fight. Challenging the martial artist of Dragonmarsh openly at the foot of Sacred Wrym Summit was like walking into a death trap.
“If you’re not satisfied, feel free to challenge Mr. Alessandro on the stage. But be warned, if you fight unfairly by outnumbering us, we won’t back down either,” the butler said impassively.
He knew his words would stir anger, but he never saw these people as a real threat from the moment he spoke.
“Stop!”
Suddenly, a gray-haired elderly man stepped forward, halting the eager youths who were about to launch an attack.
The elderly man, clearly of noble stature, spoke with authority, instantly shushing the crowd.
Surveying the surroundings, the old man declared, “As representatives of the mighty nation of Dragonmarsh, we won’t allow ourselves to be disturbed by the provocations of a small country.
“If warriors from Kimboku want to challenge us, let’s have a fair fight. They should admit our victory with sportsmanship.”
“Elder Douglas is right! If we rush in and defeat them hastily, it’s not honorable. People will mock us. Since they want a stage, let’s give it to them! Let’s defeat them on the stage!”
“Exactly! Dragonmarsh has many skilled martial artists. We can openly beat those Kimboku warriors on the stage and completely embarrass them!”
Many people agreed with these thoughts. Although they wanted to teach these two arrogant Kimboku warriors a lesson, they knew they had to win in a fair and honorable way.
The butler stared at the elderly man and asked, “By the way, who are you?”
